Parliament passes CAAM amendment Bill

KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat has approved the Bill to amend the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia Act 2017 (Act 788).

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (Amendment) Bill 2024, among others, aims to transfer the functions of the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), which will be dissolved, to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

The Bill, tabled by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, was passed with a majority of votes in favour, after six MPs participated in the debate.

When winding up the debate on the Bill, Loke expressed his commitment to ensuring the merger process of the Malaysian aviation industry regulatory bodies runs smoothly before the amended bill comes into effect.

“I will not hastily enforce this amendment until the orderly and proper merger process is completed.

“This is to ensure that the operations of our civil aviation industry can run smoothly,” he said.

Earlier, when presenting the bill for its second reading, Loke stated that the drafting of the Bill had undergone a comprehensive legal process involving stakeholders such as the Transport Ministry, CAAM, Mavcom, and the Attorney General’s Chambers as early as June 2023.

He said that a special task force was formed to discuss in detail the structure, functions, jurisdiction, staffing implications, finances, compensation payments, and legal issues following the dissolution of Mavcom and the transfer of its functions to CAAM.

“In the new entity post-merger, CAAM will involve professionals and experts with a broader background, for instance, in economics, law, public administration, and even international relations, among others.

“The government’s goal is to build a more comprehensive civil aviation regulatory institution capable of enhancing Malaysia’s reputation on the world stage, particularly in the aviation sector,” he said.

Loke added that permanent and contract appointments under Mavcom, which are identified as performing core functions related to economic and commercial affairs, and requiring competence and expertise in professional technical fields, will be offered to serve in the civil service based on positions to be created under CAAM.

“The government will also ensure that the salaries and benefits of Mavcom staff absorbed into CAAM are market-based, and in this regard, CAAM is being restructured to enable it to carry out all Mavcom functions being transferred. The details will be discussed and referred to the Public Service Department for approval,” he said.

He said the initiative to merge the civil aviation regulatory bodies under one entity will not only optimise existing human and financial resources but also improve governance efficiency and service delivery quality. – BK